Starbucks held the grand opening of its newest flagship store in Phnom Penh on October 7 with a bright new outlet featuring local craftsmanship and iconic global images. The shop boasts unique features such as a hand-carved Siren made of Cambodian sandstone, an illustration of Starbucks first store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market on a textured rattan canvas, a coffee landscape inspired tapestry made of fabric tightly woven on a rattan frame, and a metal sculpture hanging over the bar inspired by the coffee aroma. The centrepiece is a hand-painted mural over the staircase to the second floor that illustrates the popular Cambodian folklore of Sovann Maccha, the siren princess with a tail that is transformed into two majestic Naga dragons. Illustrated by prominent local urban artists Peap Tarr and Lisa Mam, the artists highlight the distinct beauty and characteristics of urban Khmer art. The new store is located at Boeung Keng Kang at Street 57. Photos by Chhim Sreyneang